Ancient Dion

"Mapping, Documentation and Promotion of the Archaeological Park of Dion using Digital Methods" part of the Project "Digitisation and Digital Documentation of the Collections of the Ministry of Culture" (3rd CSF – Information Society – Measure 1.3)

The Archaeological Park of Dion preserves the monuments of the sacred centre of ancient Macedonia. In the frame of the project suitable digital base maps as well as the necessary infrastructure were created, supporting the archaeological research of Dion, which can be conducted from now on with the help of innovative methods and advanced technical equipment. Thus the planning of future interventions related to the research, the protection and the promotion of the archaeological park can be facilitated.

The project involved the systematic recording and mapping aiming at the creation of detailed digital base maps of high geometric precision. These new digital base maps were incorporated in a GIS application, which also included the existing topographic archive of the park.

Spatial and descriptive databases were created (in a web environment) in order to serve the excavation and incorporate all the new details, so that the cartographic maps, as well as the digital excavation diary are constantly updated. From now on any kind of digital research and information combination is possible, something that significantly accelerates the archaeological research and study.

Apart from the archaeologists and the excavation team of Dion, the numerous visitors can navigate through a computer in a tri-lingual multimedia application and tour the park. The multimedia application has been installed in 4 info-kiosks, in the archaeological museum and in the entrance of the archaeological site, whose operation is based on a wireless network. The multimedia applications involve inter alia, interactive panoramic tours, aerial-photography albums, photographs and findings, 3-D photo-realistic site restorations, as they were in antiquity.